HomeMy WebLinkAboutB, Community Development 101 – Website�
EN HILLS
Reques� for Council
Review
Prepared By; Jill Hut�aaacher, Community Work Session Date: June 13, 2011
Development Director
Community Development 101— Website Feedback
Discussion Topic:
Discussion on Community Devetopment vision and gaals and d�scussion on redesign
of the City's website.
S�lppot'tiTl� DoCumen�S:
i. Memoranduz� dated June 13, 2011 frorn Jill Hutrnacher, Community Developmeni
Director.
2. May 5, 2011 e-mail to Councilmembers from T1I Hutmacher regarding Comrnunity
Development � O 1.
3. Merz�orazzdum dated June 13, 2011, from Jill Hutmacher regarding "What is Community
Development?"
�
EN HILLS
►iTii�iTi�Ci;�►� u
DATE: June 13, 20i 1
TO: Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: rill Hutmacher, Community Development Director �j f�
SUBJECT: Community Dev�lopment 141— Website Feedback
Attached is the t�xt of an e-mail regarding Community Development 101 that was sent to the
City Council on May 5. This is a first step i� Cornmunity Developrnent 101. Feedback on the
economic development and housx�zg iz�itiatives undertaken by othex cities wil� help staff
undexstand what additional infor�nation would be helpfixl. Additiona].Iy, as the City considers a
redesign of its website, Council feedback an the structure, orgar�ization, and appearance of other
cities' websites would be appreciated.
Also attached is a memo in response to �lie City Council's May 2, 2011, question, "What is
cor�m�nxty deveiop�nent?" The xxaezx�o is pxovided as an attempt to initiate a broader discussion
on community de�elopment vision and goals.
City of tlyden Hills
City Council Work Session Meeting June 13, 2011
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Attachment
E-mail �- May 5, 2011
June 13, 2011, City Council Work Session Meeting
Jill Hutmacher
From: Jil! Hutmacher
Sent: Thursday, May 45, 2011 3:38 PM
To: 'd.p.grant@comcast.net'; 'Holmes Frances H'; Fran Holmes; 'edwerner$8@yahoo.com'; 'Nick
Tamble ; Brenda Molden
Cc: Patrick Klaers; Sue Iverson; Terry Maurer; Meagan Beekman; Da�e Scherbel
Subject: Cornrr�unity Development 101
At Mon�ay's goal-setting meeting, the City Council had questions about Community De�elopment and the goals �hat the
City Council coufd potentially assfgn. A Community De�elopmer�t ].Ol discussion will be included on the agenda for the
May 16 work sessian meeting. In the meantime, it rnay be helpful for you to review what other cities are doing fior
Community De�efoprrtent.
Altf�ough there is no standard form of Gty organization, in most cities, Community De�elopment consists of five
di�isions or fields: Planning, Buifding Inspections, Cade Enforcement/En�ironmentaE Heaith, Econorr�ic De�elopment,
and Housing. Of course, Arden �lills has established, professio�tal practices for Planning, Building Inspections and Code
Enforcement. On the other hand, it appears that the City has established only a few practices ar programs related to
Economic Development or Housing.
I've loolced at many websites of Twin Cities municipalities, and i've found that Coon Rapids, Waod�urv, and Brooklvn
Park are good examples of a!I of the possibilities within �conomic Develo�ment and Housing. These are bigger cities
than Arden Hills, but they are all suburban comrnunities with a mixture of residential and corr�mercial de�elopment.
!n Coon Rapids, Econarr�ic Revelopment inclucles a Commercial Fix Up Loan program and a list of a�ailable commercial
and industrial land. Links are pro�ided to business resources such as DEED, chambers of commerce, and b�rsiness
cle�efopment centers. The Housingpa�e includes finks to remodeling handbooks, hausing FAQ, and code enforcement
information. The City ofFers a downpayment assistance loan program and links to other housing foan prograrr�s. The
City runs a �ery robust rental licensing program which includes annua! inspections of rental property. (�he City of Anoica
is mocEeling their new ficensing ordinance �rorri Coon Rapids. If the Cify Council wants to morre towards a rental licensing
program, Coon Rapids is one of the communities we'll want to look at more closefy.j
Woodbury has "Business fnfo" and "Resident Infa" tabs on their home pa�e, along with a"Departmen#s" tab, which I
thin�C may be helpfuf for residents and businesses that may not be familiar with how city functions are orgaRized across
departments. The Economic De�elopment pa�e includes information about the City's HealthCore program related to
the City's develo�ment gaal of becoming a medical destinati�n. The City pro�ides information on financing and an
inventory of commercial development. Thro�gh the City's Housin� Pa�e, residents can get infarrr2ation on the
foreclosure process, senior housing, and foan and incen�i�e programs.
I, personally, don't find the Brooklyn Park website as easy to navigate or as aesthetically pleasing as Coon Rapids and
Woodbury, but Brooklyn Park is undertafcing many initiati�es in ecor�omic development and housing. In Brooklyn Park,
EconQmic Development is divided into goals for de�elopment, business de�elopment, rede�eloprr�ent and housing.
Business de�elopment includes links and information on business retention and expansion, srriafl business resources,
and e�en links to short �ideos promoting local businesses. On the redevelopmer�t page, information is provided on
economic development projects. The Housin� Pa�e includes information on foreclosure resources and home
improvement loan programs. (Brooklyn Park also runs a rental licensing program.j Brooklyn Parfc has far more wark
programs for economic de�elopment and housing than I can describe in this e-maif, sa if you ha�e a chance ta look
around in their website, I wouid encourage you to do so.
The City Council may not want to do all, or e�en any, of the things that Coon Rapids, Woodbury, and Brooklyn Park are
doing for economic de�elapment and housing, but I hope this helps you think about Communfty C1e�elopment generally,
and what specificaAy might be beneficial for Arden Hills. lill
Attachment
Memo — "Wnat is community
de�elopment?"
June 13, 201 l, City Council Work Sessian Meeting
�
EN HILLS
MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 13, 2011
TO: Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: rill Huf�rnacher, Community Development Director �'�
SUBJECT: What is cammunity develapment?
At t�e May 2, 2011, City Council goal-setting meeting, Counci�membexs posed a question,
"What is community development?" The answex to �at questzon zs not simple �nd will likely
involve an an-going discussxon between the Co�cil and staff as cornrnunity developmeni goals
are farmed and pwrsued. It zx�ay be helpful to begin the dialogue with a description of what
community development is not.
Comtnunity d�velopment is r�ot. . .
• Easy, concrete, or tangible. There is no clear "r�ght" answer. You will not know when
you are "there."
• The same in every cornr�unity. Communities have different situations, challenges, and
goals. Each city's com�nunity development agenda reflects thai particular community's
needs.
• Following "best practices." Community develapment is nat governed by a list of best
practices, state or %deral mandates, or state stat�tes. Hausing and economic
d�velopment work plans are nearly entirely at the discretion of �ie City Council.
What specif cally co�c�.unity develop�nn.ent is, is rnore difficult to defix�e.
Cammunity development is. . .
• Establishing a community vision and achieving goals.
• Building pride in the community and a sense of belonging by residents and businesses.
• Managing change. �dea�ly, citxes evaluate trends and look forward to see how the
ct�mmunity may change in the next decade ar so. Cornrr�u�ity de�velopment is an
opportunity for a ciiy to proactively address change to mitigate challenges and capture
opportunities.
• Sizx�ilar ta ti�e "resea�rcl� and development" function in private industry. Cor�rnunity
developrz�ent is an in.vestment xn the future.
City of�irden Hills
Ciry Council Work Session Meeting June 13, 2011
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